This Fitness Model Shared a Pic of Her Cellulite—and Then Got Real About Self-Love

Lots of fitness models have huge followers on Instagram, where they share fitness tips, post motivational quotes, and, of course, show the results of their training. One such personality is Nicole Mejia, who has more than a million followers on the platform. But on Friday she took to her Instagram with a message about self-esteem, self-acceptance, and a switch in how she approaches fitness. Gone is the emphasis on appearance; instead she's focusing on fitness by setting goals that she "won't need a mirror for" and getting back in touch with herself. And it's definitely resonating: More than half a million people have watched the video message.

"Time for me to get real with you guys. My body fat percentage is currently the highest that it's been since I started Fit and Thick. Funny thing is, so is my happiness and self-acceptance," she wrote in the caption. "When I was on my quest to 'look the part' of entering the fitness industry, I ended up losing what fitness was for me in the first place. It never used to be about looking a certain way, but about the mental clarity and emotional release that I was able to achieve after an hour of pushing my body past what I thought I was capable of. 💭It was how I was able to find body acceptance in the first place."

She went on to say, "It's an important lesson to grasp and I hope that by being open with my revelation, I can light the way for you to connect these same dots within yourself. The way I look will never make me truly love myself. I need to reach deeper than the shell and work on the empty parts. You are more than the way you look."

Mejia finished by writing, "Seems ironic coming from someone who gained 1.4 million followers on Instagram because I put my body on the Internet. I think it's exactly why I feel so strongly about reaching higher and bringing anyone along with me who's open to it. Not just on the outside but on the inside too. Not always individually, but as a community too.💫 I made a promise that I would be vulnerable with you guys, and when it comes to me and my body image, this as real as it gets. I am flawed. I am loved. But I am so much more. - And so are you."

We're all about her using her platform to advocate for a positive body image, attainable fitness goals, and self-love—and sharing the (sometimes tough!) journey it takes to get there. See her full post below: